嚏 (tì) — (bound form) sneeze (used only in 喷嚏)
Definition
A bound morph meaning 'sneeze'; never used alone. It appears only in the word 喷嚏 (pēntì).
bound form
sneeze (used only in 喷嚏)
Easily confused
- 替tìsound-alike(verb) to replace, to substitute for
- 剃tìsound-aliketo shave (hair, beard, head)
- 涕tìsound-alike(literary) tears
- 逖tìsound-alikedistant (literary, bound form)
- 惕tìsound-alike(bound form) vigilant, watchful, cautious
- 倜tìsound-alike(bound morpheme) used only in 倜傥 (tìtǎng, 'unconventional and elegant')
Examples
- 。Wǒ dǎ le yí gè pēn tì.I sneezed.
- 。Tā dǎ le hǎo jǐ gè pēn tì.He sneezed several times.
- 。Pēn tì huì bǎ bìng dú chuán bō chū qù.Sneezing can spread viruses.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
疐
疐dì嚏tì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
嚏 pairs 口, which relates to the mouth, with 疐, which gives the character its sound.
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